Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The presently claimed invention relates to tire inflation tools, and in particular, to a manifold attachment for an air inflation tire bead seater apparatus.
Background Art
There are several air inflation devices presently in the market. The devices have a tank with compressed air and a valve that releases the compressed air to a manifold with a nozzle directed to the space between a tire bead and a rim edge to partially inflate the tire and seat the beads of the tire onto the rim. Most, if not all of the prior art references require high pressures to seat the tire bead because they utilize a single outlet port or fail to direct the flow of air to the preferred area, and avoid the flow of air to areas that do not aid in seating the beads. Thus, an efficient apparatus and method for inflating a tubeless tire efficiently is required. The issues that require a solution are how the air is dispersed and directed. There are a few different styles of manifolds in the market, but they typically dump the air from the tank or inflation machine too quickly. As air is released, it expands and there is a lack of balance for the size of “barrel outlets” to gain the correct amount of air volume with the force combined.
The problem occurs in the new type and style of tire and wheel combinations. They are constantly changing with structure and shape, and the plys of a tire have increased causing the tire to be more stiff and difficult to seat.
Another factor is the method of shipment of tires, which cause deformities. These issues are exacerbated with agriculture and commercial tires. The standard barrel attachment only has one port to dump the air into the tire, provides no direction for the airflow, and does not allow pressure to be built up enough to seat these difficult tires. In many cases, the operator is dangerously over filling the air tank in order to increase the volume or is using a second person with another air tank to accomplish what one person and one unit should be able to do.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,764 to Ochoa teaches a tapered single port nozzle for seating tire beads onto a rim.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,456 to Bonko, et al., teaches an arcuate shaped manifold with a plurality of air escape apertures to seat beads in large vehicle tires, such as tractor tires.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,733 to Desparois, et al., discloses a single aperture nozzle that is tapered in order to increase the velocity of the air exiting the nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,659 to Prosser, et al., is another portable tubeless tire inflating system. This device has a “V” shaped outlet port, which is flattened on the end; however, still contain ones single aperture for releasing the air.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,752,604 to Kunau discloses a jet assisted tubeless tire seating device. This device purportedly provides for a nozzle for use of smaller, easier, portably sized tanks. A jet for bringing additional air through air intake ports is taught to add to the air released from the tank. This improvement purports to provide enough air at 100 psi or less to seat a tire that is released through a “V” shaped nozzle with two (2) exit apertures.
U.S. Patent Application No. US 2003/0178151 A1 to Ritchie, et al., describes a cartridge type bead seater apparatus and method using the same thereof. This device uses a high-pressure cartridge that is pierced to release gas for seating a tire.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,302 to Demers is another single outlet manifold design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,801 to Ellis describes a device for seating tubeless pneumatic tires to a wheel rim. This patent discloses a split nozzle configuration to direct pressurized air in two diverging directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,757,236 B2 to White describes an apparatus and method for sealing tubeless tires. A nozzle is a tube that generally follows the contour of a rim, and has several apertures on the tube for the release of high-pressure air to seat the tire.